FUNDING SOURCES

"You May Have Overlooked"

By John G. Warren Department of Conservation

A parks specialist is kind of like a doctor these days—there are so many innovations that unless he devotes considerable time often to keeping up with developments he is likely to be outdated and archaic too soon for comfort. One of the fields especially important to be fully informed on and up-to-the-minute in is—finances. The all-important budget, which never stretches quite far enough and always welcomes new sources of funding, is a fact of life, however distasteful, for parks people as it is for those in all other professions and walks of life.

It is the purpose of this article to make the burden a little easier for budget-haunted people in city park, forest preserve, or conservation districts, or for those in any political subdivision dealing with enhancement of public outdoor recreation, by pointing out the several possible sources of funding that may be available from state-controlled monies, particularly those under jurisdiction or administration of the Conservation Department.

To this end, we've attempted to describe these funding programs, answering questions like (1) Who is eligible, or who qualifies, for funding, (2) Ways in which local government agencies can qualify, or become eligible, (3) How to apply and (4) When to apply.

Principal funding program sources available through the Department, for projects dealing particularly with parks-oriented programs:

* Open Space Land Acquisition Act.
* Land and Water Conservation Fund
* Snowmobile Grant-in-Aid Program
* Boating Access Program
* Youth Conservation Corps.
* Historic Preservation Grants-in-Aid

At the outset two points should be made clear. This expanatory article is based upon the understanding that (l) Describing a funding program is no guarantee that funds are available now, or that an application will necessarily be approved, and, (2) Some orientation towards broad program responsibilities of the Conservation Department is necessary for eligibility in any funding source emanating from the Department.

ILLINOIS OPEN SPACE LAND ACQUISITION ACT

One of two funding sources for parkland acquisition available to local agencies through the Department of Conservation, this is the newest resource for acquisition aid and one in which Illinoisians can justly take pride. For years, the other source, the federal Land and Water Conservation fund, has shown its popularity by perennially sprouting more project applications than there there were funds—now the Open Space Land Acquisition monies are in the same position. Last spring there were $9 million in requests for funding assets of approximately $3.5 million.

Consequently, Director Tony Dean of the Conservation Department has set up guidelines through which acquisition applications can be handled via either Open Space or Land and Water funds on a spring-fall basis, as eligibility criteria in the two programs are almost identical.

The Open Space Act stresses urban and flood plain projects more than has been the case with the federal Land and Water program; however, there has been a move to emphasize more urban and flood plain considerations in L and W, largely as a result of the energy crunch.

HB 966, the Open Space Land Acquisition Act, was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Dan Walker in 1973. It was written as a three-year program and funded at $3.5 million for fiscal year 1974, which expired last June 30, and at $1 million for FY 75. It is a cost-sharing program wherein local agencies can be reimbursed at the state at a 75 percent rate for FY74 projects, 60 percent for FY75 and 50 percent for FY76 and thereafter, though its continuance will take future legislation.

Basically, it provides for reimbursement grants for acquisition of open space parklands and costs incidental to land acquisition of this nature.

Under Dean's Department guidelines, present plans call for the Federal Aid Section to administer the Open Space Act in the spring, with deadline for applications of March 21 and the granting of awards in July. The Land and Water Conservation Fund will be administered in the fall, with application deadline of Sept. 21 and awards granting in December.

"Reviewing and processing for both the Open Space and L and W programs are very similar, so that a project that cannot be financed in one, through shortage of money in a particular fund, can be easily transferred to the other, six months later.

In this way, state and federal funding can compliment each other in twin programs with but a single overall aim—to gain more parkland open space for citizens of Illinois.

LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND

Dovetailing this federal program, which has been in existence since the mid-1960's, with the state's new Open Space program as outlined above, is giving new motivation and incentive to the acquisition of conservation parklands in Illinois. As heretofore mentioned, there were $9 million in requests last spring for Open Space Act funds of $3.5 million—but, instead of flatly turning

Illinois Parks and Recreation 22 November/December, 1974

down $5.5 million, the Department is now exercising its new-found option of holding some of these applications until fall, when Land and Water Conservation Fund monies build a new recreation land windfall.

Land and Water monies involve reimbursement on a 50-50 basis and, as is the case with the Open Space Act funds, there is no development money; it's all strictly acquisition.

In FY 73 Illinois received $7 million, however, in FY 74 Illinois received only $1.6 million out of a distribution of only $66 million by BOR, as full funding was cut off.

Eligibility requirements include plans—a comprehensive plan for community-wide or regional programs showing how the proposed acquisition is part of the larger program, and a preliminary site plan which need not be too detailed or developed. There has to be some form of recreation involved, even if it is only passive, and the sponsor must be a local governmental unit such as a park district, a conservation or conservancy district, forest preserve system, etc. Schools or school districts do not qualify.

Applications for funding under either the Open Space Act or the Land and Water Fund not only must meet certain criteria, they must gain approval of the Conservation Advisory Board and be assigned a priority status.

The trend definitely favors the local unit of government in its attempts to plan and carry out a continuous outdoor recreation program of substance for its people. For details on both Open Space Act and L and W Fund programs and how to participate, write: Federal Aid Section, Department of Conservation, 605 State Office Building, Springfield, Ill. 62706.

SNOWMOBILE GRANT-IN-AID PROGRAM

A relatively new program, the Snowmobile Grant-in-Aid funding provides money for local units of government, community park districts, forest preserves, etc. to acquire land and develop it for snowmobile trails and support facilities. Priorities are assigned to multiple use trails—if a development can be used year-round it gets higher status; thus the hikers, the bicyclers, the trail riders benefit from this state funding law equally with the snowmobilers, though it's the snowmobilers who finance it through their two-year registration fees.

The program began in fiscal year 1974 and shows indications of yielding about $75,000 annually, but this will, of course, depend on future license revenues. The law provides for 50 percent funding reimbursement, but it limits the maximum grant to 20 percent, or less, of available funds in any given fiscal year.

Application for funding under this program should be made by April 15; grant allocations will be determined by July 15. For details, write: Department of Conservation, Law Enforcement Special Services Section, 605 State Office Bldg., Springfield, Ill. 62706.

BOAT ACCESS PROGRAM

A number of communities have modern boat launching facilities today due to the Department of Conservation's boat access funding resources. Among them are Chicago, Springfield, Moline, Decatur, Rockford, Waukegan, Rock Island and many others.

The program is funded from an excess of $2 million per annum received from motor fuel tax monies, for refunds from gasoline burned on the waterways instead of on the highways. Communities seeking use of such funds for boat ramp construction should submit an engineering study with their application. They should own the land and agree to maintain the access facility after completion. Final approval of projects is usually scheduled for the May meeting of the Conservation Advisory Board.

The Boat Access grants program is the only one of the Conservation Department where outright grants are made for an entire project's funding—no matching funds are necessary. Projects eligible include: single ramp, multi-ramp, black-topped parking area and related service construction such as comfort station; in fact, the development of any size boat access area to fit the community's needs—but not land acquisition or maintenance, and not the construction of a marina. For details, write: Department of Conservation, Law Enforcement Special Services Section, 605 State Office Bidg., Springfield, Ill. 62706.

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS

The Youth Conservation Corps provides funds for programs utilizing those of junior high and high school age to work part time in conservation and related projects. It is administered by the Department of Conservation's Parks Division which allocated federal funding on a 50 percent reimbursable basis.

This is the first year for both state and local participation in Illinois. This year, the local agency participation brought a number of subgrants which totaled nearly $50,000.

Local agencies which had programs approved in FY 74 for this summer's work include: Park Forest City Park District $8,208.10, Boone County Conservation District $4,350, Dundee Township Park District $16,757.50, Lake County Forest Preserve District $15,412, and Peoria Park District $20,000.

Emphasis will be given in FY 1975 to (1) Resident programs over (2) Non-resident programs. A priority goal is to give young people an opportunity to live and work together.

Priority will be given applicants that have highly visible projects— either construction of new facilities or renovation of old ones. Dundee and Park Forest are developing new parks utilizing the Youth Conservation Corps; Boone County is fixing up an existing park system. All youth in the program are treated alike; all are eligible without regard to race, color, creed, or sex.

Communities interested in participation during FY 1974 should contact Charles Tamminga's office after Nov. 15 for applications. Completed applications are due back on Jan. 15, and program funding allocation decisions will be made by Feb. 15. Write: Department of Conservation, Division of Parks and Memorials, Program Services Section, 605 State Office Bldg., Springfield, Illinois 62706.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANTS-IN-AID

To qualify for this annual program of up to 50 percent reimbursement, the site must be on the National Register of Historic Places, maintained by the National Park Service. Funding eligibility under this program is restricted to acquisition, restoration (brick and mortar projects), structural stabilization

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FUNDING SOURCES ...

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and reconstruction and development.

The nature of this entire program, of course, is historic preservation, and the procedure to gain National Register status is to first secure nomination forms from the Division of Long Range Planning, in which Dale Hench now functions as historic sites coordinator.

At quarterly meetings, the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council makes recommendations for submission to the Keeper of the Register which are reviewed by Director Dean, as the state's historic preservation officer. Once approved and added to the National Register, a site is eligible for this federal funding.

Hench says the two biggest constraints in the funding program have been, from a state viewpoint, the (1) Time span, wherein at least two years may elapse after a site's first submission for National Register consideration until its approval for funding restoration, and (2) The average low return in grant money (few projects have been full-funded to 50 percent).

For FY 76 project work, applications should be sent in by late April, 1975, to: Federal Aid Section, Department of Conservation, 605 State Office Bldg.

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